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Karen LeBlanc

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Explore Regensburg, Germany with The Design Tourist

by Karen LeBlanc April 25, 2020
written by Karen LeBlanc

In this episode of The Design Tourist, host Karen LeBlanc travels to Regensburg, Germany, a UNESCO World Heritage to explore the link between the city’s culture and creativity through its architecture, art and handicrafts. We’ll shop the city’s many artisan stores and regional handicrafts at its famous Christmas Markets and learn about Regensburg’s Bavarian history and heritage. 

 

April 25, 2020 0 comment
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Miami Art Week Highlights: Artist Interviews and Art Collecting Trends

by Karen LeBlanc March 13, 2020
written by Karen LeBlanc
Join The Design Tourist Karen LeBlanc as she takes you on a whirlwind tour of Miami Art Week, hitting all the major art shows and fairs to check out the latest trends in art collecting and interview artists doing cutting edge work. From Art Basel, the marquee event, to Miami Art Week’s many satellite shows, The Design Tourist takes you along for a global dose of creative inspiration. #ArtFair#Art#ArtBasel#MiamiArtWeek#Paintings#Sculpture#ArtShow#ArtTVShow#Miami

Subscribe to The Design Tourist for a global dose of inspiration as host Karen LeBlanc brings you what’s new and what’s next in design, art, architecture and home interiors along with celebrity designer interviews, celebrity home tours and stay in style tours of boutique hotels. Subscribe to The Design Tourist for a global dose of inspiration as host Karen LeBlanc brings you what’s new and what’s next in design, art, architecture and home interiors along with celebrity designer interviews, celebrity home tours and stay in style tours of boutique hotels.

March 13, 2020 0 comment
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5 Fall Trend Takeways for the Home

by Karen LeBlanc September 22, 2019
written by Karen LeBlanc

As the weather gets cooler and the leaves turn colors, home interiors cozy up for the colder months. Here’s a look at 5 Fall Trend Takeways for the Home

Metals Warm Up:

Expect to see warmer metals such as copper, brass and rose gold mixing in with stainless steel and colder metallic finishes for an updated look in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. 

Brushed brass cabinet hardware and faucets complement brass inlays in the tile flooring in this powder bath. The home is designed and built by Orlando Custom Homebuilder Jorge Ulibarri. www.cornerstonecustomconstruction.com

Brushed brass cabinet hardware and faucets complement brass inlays in the tile flooring in this powder bath. The home is designed and built by Orlando Custom Homebuilder Jorge Ulibarri. www.cornerstonecustomconstruction.com

Classic gray and white color palettes remain popular and are accented with warmer metals and mixed metal finishes. In this laundry room, notice the stainless steel faucet paired with brushed brass cabinet hardware.

Brushed brass hardware paired with gray cabinets and gray wood look porcelain tile floor in this laundry room. The home is designed and built by Orlando Custom Homebuilder Jorge Ulibarri, www.cornerstonecustomconstruction.com

Brushed brass hardware paired with gray cabinets and gray wood look porcelain tile floor in this laundry room. The home is designed and built by Orlando Custom Homebuilder Jorge Ulibarri, www.cornerstonecustomconstruction.com

Matte Black is Having a Moment:

Kitchen by Orlando Custom Homebuilder Jorge Ulibarri, www.cornerstonecustomconstruction.com

Kitchen by Orlando Custom Homebuilder Jorge Ulibarri, www.cornerstonecustomconstruction.com

Expect to see the continued popularity of mixing mattes and metals in kitchens which is why Matte Black is having a moment. Notice the matte black cabinet hardware paired with white cabinets and stainless steel appliances and range hood. Many kitchen and bath products now offer a matte black version of their product line including the latest from True Residential.

 

 True Residential recently launched a new Ultra Matte Black finish with a textured surface and hardware options of gold, pewter, copper, brass, and chrome hardware.   The new hue joins a wide array of available custom finishes in the Build Your True collection which includes Stainless Steel, Emerald, Cobalt, Gloss Black, Matte White, and Antique White. 

 

Transitional  Style Mash-Ups:

The transitional style mashup in this custom bathroom pairs Moroccan floor tiles with an industrial mirror and matte black bathroom fittings. The home is designed and built by Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri www.cornerstonecustomconstruction.com

The transitional style mashup in this custom bathroom pairs Moroccan floor tiles with an industrial mirror and matte black bathroom fittings. The home is designed and built by Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri www.cornerstonecustomconstruction.com

I’m also seeing the latest interpretations of transitional styling that mixes eclectic and industrial elements throughout. Notice the Moroccan floor tile paired with an industrial mirror and matte black bathroom fittings.

Another transitional style mashup is in this bathroom by Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri. Notice the industrial-styled vanity lights paired with geometric sleek vessel sinks and modern octagon mosaic floor tile with rustic textured porcelain wood look tile on the backsplash.

Another transitional style mashup is in this bathroom by Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri. Notice the industrial-styled vanity lights paired with geometric sleek vessel sinks and modern octagon mosaic floor tile with rustic textured porcelain wood look tile on the backsplash.

 

Subway Tile Makes a Comeback:

Subway tile is making a comeback in kitchen backsplashes and bathroom wall and shower cladding. This latest interpretation of the subway tile is textural with a rough-hewn effect in larger formats. 

This kitchen backsplash features rough-hewn subway tile to add dimension and visual contrast to the white painted cabinets with matte black hardware. Photo credit: Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri.

This kitchen backsplash features rough-hewn subway tile to add dimension and visual contrast to the white painted cabinets with matte black hardware. Photo credit: Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri.

NewHomeSource recently asked a panel of experts including yours truly for our trend insights on stylish living spaces. You can check out my interview in its Fall Interior Design Expert Roundup as well as input from other respected designers and decorators.  

Sensory Rich Rooms:

A reverence for the artisanal and a desire for soothing spaces drives one of the biggest trends in home decor: the sensory-rich room. This tactile trend emphasizes nature-inspired textures, organic and irregular surfaces and authenticity. The look is grounded in humanity drawing focus to craft-inspired materials such as handwoven objects in natural fibers or handmade pottery and surfaces of raw wood. Think of this as the latest interpretation of hygge, layered with sumptuous materials and touch-me surfaces and an earth-friendly ethos of sustainable choices. 

For more on what’s new and next in design, subscribe to The Design Tourist Channel and sign up for the blog email.

 

 

 

September 22, 2019 0 comment
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Healdsburg, California, The Hospitality Heart of Sonoma County Wine Country

by Karen LeBlanc July 23, 2019
written by Karen LeBlanc

In the latest episode of The Design Tourist, I travel to Healdsburg California, the Hospitality Heart of Sonoma County Wine Country. We’ll tour several Sonoma County vineyards as we sip and savor this epicurean Eden with its earth-friendly ethos and learn about the county’s efforts to have all its vineyards certified sustainable in just a few years

July 23, 2019 0 comment
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Interacting with Art at ARTECHOUSE in Miami Beach

by Karen LeBlanc July 17, 2019
written by Karen LeBlanc

The desire to stimulate the senses is an instinct that defines us as humans and propels the creation of art. ARTECHOUSE in Miami Beach, Florida delivers a sensory experience through digital art, redefining the way we experience and appreciate art. The interactive museum asks visitors to touch, move, dance, blow and bodily interact to fully experience each digital art installation in its latest exhibit, XYZT: Abstract Landscapes, on view through Sept 2, 2019. I recently visited ARTECHOUSE to immerse myself in the works of French contemporary digital artists and multimedia choreographers, Adrien M and Claire B. The interactive exhibit offers an exploration physical experience through ten digital landscapes.  I enter the museum, walking on a dark pathway that lights up with each step in swirls and ripples.  In this first installation, I encounter a floor that reacts to my footsteps. 

The artists have created a virtual playground of four dimensions: X (horizontal) Y (vertical) Z (depth) and T (time). Each of the ten installations asks me to manipulate lighted lines, dots and letters by my physical actions. 

You can manipulate light particles within a giant digital cube or blow into glass boxes and watch virtual letters that assemble and disassemble. This is an immersive sensory encounter.

The museum is at the crossroads of art, science and technology bringing 21st-century art experiences as the first innovative platform for experiential, genre-bending multimedia art exhibitions and explorations. 

One of the more fascinating installations is a virtual reality book that you can “read” by downloading the free Adrien M and Claire B app that makes the pages come alive in 3D. Here’s a look at some of the augmented reality pages that I viewed on my cell phone with the app.

As a Design Tourist always on the lookout for works that ignite the creative muse within, I highly recommend a visit to ARTECHOUSE for work that is at the forefront of 21st-century art. For more, visit artechouse.com

ARTECHOUSE – Miami 736 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

The Miami Beach location is one of three, the other two are in Washington D.C. and New York. 

For more on what’s new and next in design, subscribe to The Design Tourist Channel and sign up for the blog email.

 

 

 

July 17, 2019 0 comment
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The American Writers Museum: Chicago’s Literary Treasure

by Karen LeBlanc May 29, 2019
written by Karen LeBlanc

A Must See Museum for the Literary Tourist

While staying in Chicago on a two-day business trip, I had one free morning to sightsee. With so much to see and so little time to do so, I was faced with an anxiety-inducing decision. I wanted an experience off the beaten path of well-trodden tourist attractions so I did some googling to searching for “unusual museums” and “unique attractions.” My search led me to the American Writers Museum located on Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile. Perfect! I can visit the museum and get my writer’s fix then walk to Millenium Park for selfies with the city’s popular attractions.

For this writer and bibliophile, I had planned the ideal morning.  The American Writers Museum opened in 2017 “to celebrate the enduring influence of American writers on our history, our identity, our culture, and our daily lives.” It seemed a bold risk, investing in an attraction that showcases a profession lacking the visual drama of Chicago’s well-known landmarks, architecture and other museums.

Writers toil alone and words aren’t particularly selfie material. I wondered how the founders managed to fill an entire museum with something others want to see and experience sans the social media lure of competing attractions? The museum supersedes the visual limits of words by capturing the behind-the-scenes struggle—  a writer’s daily summoning of the personal muse in hopes of entering that ethereal dimension of creative flow where all sense of time is lost as the words pour forth.

Bob Dylan: Electric Exhibit at American Writers Musem in Chicago

Bob Dylan: Electric Exhibit at American Writers Musem in Chicago

The ever-evolving exhibits feature the works and bios of authors, poets, and songwriters. During my visit, the museum featured a temporary exhibit celebrating Bob Dylan’s Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for literature. Open to the public through April 30, 2019, Bob Dylan: Electric spotlights Dylan’s writing – song, poetry, and prose – between his 1965 Newport Folk Festival performance and 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature.

For me, the main attraction is the Jack Kerouac digital scroll of his novel, On the Road. Kerouac wrote his famous novel in a stream of consciousness in just three weeks, on telegraph paper that he taped together and trimmed to fit into his typewriter. The digital scroll is the first draft of the novel published in 1957, a fictionalized account of the author’s cross country road trips.

Jack Kerouac was the son of French-Canadian immigrants and saw himself as a cultural outsider.

Kerouac drew inspiration from Jazz and its musical improvisations in his approach to writing his novel. Jim Irsay, owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts football team, purchased Kerouac’s 120-foot long original scroll which is cared for by James Canary, an expert in the preservation of paper from the Lilly Library in Bloomington, Indiana.

James Canary, an expert in the preservation of paper from the Lilly Library in Bloomington, Indiana

James Canary, an expert in the preservation of paper from the Lilly Library in Bloomington, Indiana

The Lilly Library is the main repository for rare books, manuscripts, and special collections of Indiana University

On the Road became a defining work of the Beat Generation, a loose collaborative of artists and writers who rejected the mainstream in favor of the experimental and spiritual. 

My other favorite exhibit was Mind of a Writer. This walls of this inspirational gallery are filled with quotes from famous writers about their creative process and craft.

The gallery offers insights into how a writer thinks as well as the daily discipline and habits necessary to get the work done.

I was intrigued by the raw honesty in many of the quotes that capture a writer’s self-doubt and fear that they will never be published— that lurking dread that they have gambled away their time on a manuscript that no one reads.  

Another highlight of my visit was the First Lines exhibit, a wall of handwritten first sentences of novels written by accomplished authors.

Many of these authors crafted their first lines for stories that have yet to be written.

Whether you consider yourself an author, a journalist, a creative writer or diarist, we all have a shared experience that is made tangible among the museum’s galleries and personified through the literary greats featured.  I highly recommend a visit to the American Writers Museum to experience Chicago’s literary treasure. 

The American Writers Museum located in the International Harvester Building at 180 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago.

The American Writers Museum located in the International Harvester Building at 180 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago.

The museum sits in the historic former International Harvester Building at 180 N. Michigan Ave, just a few blocks from Millennium Park.

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry in Millennium Park, Chicago.

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry in Millennium Park, Chicago.

On the way back to my hotel, I stopped by to take my requisite selfies of the iconic attractions in this urban art park including the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry; the digital media Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; and Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate sculpture. 

Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist, taking a selfie in front of Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, Chicago.

Karen LeBlanc, aka The Design Tourist, taking a selfie in front of Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, Chicago.

Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa in Millennium Park, Chicago

Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa in Millennium Park, Chicago

For more on what’s new and next in design, subscribe to The Design Tourist Channel and sign up for the blog email.

 

 

 

 

 

May 29, 2019 0 comment
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Foodie Destinations Top Millennial Travelers’ Vacation Choices

by Karen LeBlanc June 19, 2018
written by Karen LeBlanc

Top Foodie Destinations Tempting the Tastebuds of Travelers

Hotels.com in its Tasty Travels research picked several cities as “Top of the Chops” for foodie travelers. Paris, Tokyo and Rome are the top three foodie destinations according to Hotels.com which commissioned edible renderings of the top three foodie destinations by renowned food artist Carl Warner. 

Food artist Carl Warner created this city scene of Paris featuring Parisian markets and the Eiffel Tower out of chocolate and blue cheese. Photo credit: Hotels.com

Food artist Carl Warner created this city scene of Paris featuring Parisian markets and the Eiffel Tower out of chocolate and blue cheese. Photo credit: Hotels.com

Each city scene, captured in HD photography, is constructed with famous foods from each location. “When Hotels.com approached me with the idea, I instantly knew this project was right up my bean-cobbled, blue cheese street! It was a great opportunity for me to bring images and scenes of these hugely popular foodie destinations to life in an exciting and contemporary way. I hope that these images will not only blow people away, but inspire them to get online, get booking and not just ‘sight-see’ but ‘sight-taste’,” says Carl, a food artist and photographer.

Food artist Carl Warner created this city scene of Rome featuring the Pantheon and a cobbled back street out of pasta, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. Photo credit: Hotels.com

Food artist Carl Warner created this city scene of Rome featuring the Pantheon and a cobbled back street out of pasta, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. Photo credit: Hotels.com

 

Food artist Carl Warner created this city scene of Tokyo featuring a zen garden and tea ceremony overlooking Mount Fuji out of Maki rolls, ginger and shiitake mushrooms. Photo credit: Hotels.com

Food artist Carl Warner created this city scene of Tokyo featuring a zen garden and tea ceremony overlooking Mount Fuji out of Maki rolls, ginger and shiitake mushrooms. Photo credit: Hotels.com

Hotels.com research also offers insight into millennial travelers, where nearly two thirds (60%) in the U.S. choose their holiday destination based on what they’ll eat – not what they’ll see or do. “American millennial travelers (64%) say foodie vacation experiences are the most memorable.  The younger generation in the U.S. is now even more focused on munching delicious local delicacies on vacation (65%) than visiting landmarks (49%) and exploring the outdoors (34%),” says Hotels.com

Millennial travelers also prefer “food over friends” with 78% of millennial U.S. travelers admitting that they prefer to snap their food instead of their friends’ faces (36%) for Instagram.  The research also pinpoints a rise in food photography on social media, revealing that during a week-long vacation, U.S. millennial travelers snap on average 128 photos, of which 15% are of food.

The Tasty Travels research also revealed that millennials are opting for street food  (20%) over Michelin star restaurants (19%) and say foodie experiences stand out the most in their vacation memories. This topped spending time with their travel buddy (22%), and even an exciting adrenaline activity (11%).

Johan Svanstrom, president of Hotels.com comments: “The love amongst millennial travelers for what we at Hotels.com have dubbed #TastyTravels, stems from food being one of the most connective and rewarding currencies there is. Experiences are the new wealth and food provides one of life’s most pleasurable experiences, where there’s always something new to try when you travel. So, it’s understandable that younger generations of travelers are defining their holiday by what they can eat, how they eat it, and how good the ‘Grams’ will be while they’re away.”

Other foodie cities making the list include London, Barcelona, New York and Madrid.

For more on what’s new and next in design, subscribe to The Design Tourist Channel and sign up for the blog email.

June 19, 2018 0 comment
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Man Glam Design Finds at ICFF

by Karen LeBlanc August 18, 2017
written by Karen LeBlanc

Man Glam Design Finds with just the right dose of testosterone discovered at ICFF, The International Contemporary Furniture Fair, the highlight of NYCxDesign. Click on the link to read the full article.

Man Glam Design Finds at ICFF

August 18, 2017 0 comment
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Peak Performance with Custom Storage Solutions

by Karen LeBlanc August 3, 2017
written by Karen LeBlanc

Learn how to make the most of your storage space in this article written by Karen LeBlanc for Interior Appeal Magazine. Click on the link below to read the full article.

Custom Storage Solutions

August 3, 2017 0 comment
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Note to Success: How Stationery Is Making a Comeback

by Karen LeBlanc August 3, 2017
written by Karen LeBlanc

Note To Success, How Pretty Paper and the Handwritten Letter is Making a Comeback. Click on the link below to read the full article by Karen LeBlanc appearing in Interior Appeal Magazine.

StationeryStars

August 3, 2017 0 comment
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Pantone 2017 Color of the Year, an article by Karen LeBlanc appearing in La Palme Magazine
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Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year has Design Seeing Green

by Karen LeBlanc May 6, 2017
written by Karen LeBlanc

Click on the link below to read the article appearing in La Palme Magazine by Karen LeBlanc

Seeing Green: The 2017 Color of the Year, an article by Karen LeBlanc in La Palme Magazine

May 6, 2017 0 comment
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Alternative Design Approaches from the 2017 Architectural Digest Design Show

by Karen LeBlanc May 3, 2017
written by Karen LeBlanc

Alternative Design Approaches

May 3, 2017 0 comment
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The 2017 New American Home Blends Palm Springs Modermism with Pod Architecture

by Karen LeBlanc March 30, 2017
written by Karen LeBlanc

The 2017 New American Home

March 30, 2017 0 comment
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Decorating Solo Article written by Karen LeBlanc for LaPalme Magazine
Design Articles

Decorating Solo, Article in LaPalme Magazine

by Karen LeBlanc December 12, 2016
written by Karen LeBlanc

Decorating Solo, Utilizing Space for Self Expression written by Karen LeBlanc for LaPalme Magazine.

LaPalme Magazine Article

 

December 12, 2016 0 comment
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